Centrifugal speed-regulator.



H. L. WHITE.

CENTRIFUGAL SPEED REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 30, 1913.

1 1 91,254. Patented July 18, I916.

HOWARD L. WHITE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 UNDERWOOD TYPEW-RITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. 1 A GORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CEN'I'RIFUGAL SPEED-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July is, 1on5.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that I, HOWARD L. WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn borough, city of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful "Improvements in Centrifugal SpeedRegulators, of which the following is a specifica tion.

This invention relates to improvements in speed governors for carriages of typewriting machines.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved form of governor for auto-,

matically limiting the speed of the typewriter carriage when released from the letter-space escapement mechanism through the operation of a tabulator key.

Usually a braking mechanism is contained within a casing, in which is j ournaled a shaft carrying a pinion movable into mesh with the carriage rack, whereby the shaft is rotated to actuate the speed governor connected thereto, when the carriage is released from the escapement mechanism; the governor casing being pivotally mounted and suitably connected with the tabulator keys for connecting said rack and pinion whenever one of said keys is actuated.

lVithin the governor casing, I provide a pair of friction disks connected to be rotated by the governor shaft, and relatively movable in the direction of their axis, to bear with greater or less pressure against relatively fixed friction seats or members. The disks are operated or set by means of weighted arms journaled on pins connecting the disks, the weights carrying cams seated in recesses in the disks, so that when, a'predetermined speed is reached, and the weights are thrown out by centrifugal force, the disks are caused to bear against the friction members and produce a braking action which increases wlth the speed of the can riage.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1' is a sectional elevation view of a typewriting and tabulating machine with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a part sectional view of the governor casing and mechanism therein. Fig. 3 is a disassembled view, showing the centrifugally operated. weights and cooperating disks. Fig. 4 is a sectional view with the weights thrown out to spread the dlsks. Fig. 5 is a sectional view as in- (heated by the section line 55 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a similar view, but with the weights thrown out by centrifugal force.

The rotary platen 1 ismounted on a frame 2 on the carriage 3 which has a running connection with the stationary guide rail 4,secured to the machine frame 5. The carriage may be driven in letter-feed direction by the usual spring motor connected by a band 6 to the carriage.

The letter feed movement of the carriage is controlled by the usual escapement mechanism comprising an eseapement wheel 7 connected with a pinion 8 which runs in mesh with a rack 9 connected through pivoted arms 10 to the carriage.

The s eed governor and brake mechanism are housed within a governor casing 11 provided with an integral bearing hub or extension 12 in which is "o'ur'naled a governor shaft 13. The casing 1 is mounted on the machine for rockingmovement by means of an arm or trunnion 1 1 extending from one side of the casing and journaled in bracket arms 15 which project forwardly from a frame 16 containing the vertical stop bars 17 of the tabulato'r mechanism. A depending arm 18 fixed to the trunnion 14 has its lower end 19 extendedbetweenbearing lugs 20 on a rock arm 21 fixed to a rock shaft 22.

The bars '17 are adapted to be selectively projected by means of key levers 23, into the path of stops 24adjustably mounted on a rack 25 on the carriage, 'Each of the bars 17 is provided with'a lug26 extending beneatha universal bar 27 connected to the 1 rock shaft 22', so that. when a stop bar 17 is projected, the'sh'aft 22 is rocked and through the arms 21 and 18 swings the casing 11 and carries a pinion 28 fixed to the governor shaft 13 into mesh with the carriage rack 9.

the carriage and permitting it to run forwardly until the projected stop bar 17 inter-- cepts a stop 24, andthereby stops the carrlage.

In order to limit the speed of the carriage, friction brake mechanism controlled by aspeed governor is located within the casing 11, such mechanism comprising a pair of friction disks 30 and 31 connected to rotate with the shaft 13 and adapted to bear against suitable compressible friction members 32 interposed between said disks and the end walls of the casing.

The inner end of the shaft 13 is provided with a key or lugs 33 to enter corresponding notches 3-1 in the disk 31, thus forming a driving connection with the disk. The disk 31 is connected to drive the disk 30 by means of pins 35 fixedto the disk 30 and having their free ends seated in openings 36 in the disk 31, this connection permitting a relative movement of the disks toward and from each other. The pins 35 are parallel with the shaft 13 and have mounted thereon oppositely disposed weights 37 normally held together, as is shown in Fig. 5, by means of a coil spring 38 and adapted to be thrown outwardly about their pivot pins35 by centrifugal force.

The ends of the spring 38 may be connected to pins 39 in the weights 37, slots or kerfs 10 in said weights being provided to receive the ends of the spring. Gn one face of each weight 37 is a cam ll which may be in the form of a cone, each cam adapted to seat in a corresponding recess 42 in the disk 31, said recesses 42 being diametrically opposite each other and so located in respect to the openings 36 that when the weights 37 are moved inwardly to Fig. 5 position, the cams 11 seat squarely in the recesses l2 permitting the disks 30 and 31 to bear directly against the side faces of the weights.

\Vhen the typewriter carriage is released by the actuation of a tabulator key, the speed with which the governor shaft 13 is rotated, as the carriage runs forwardly, is insufficient at first to throw the weights 37 out; the brake mechanism therefore does not have any material retarding action, and the carriage is permitted to quiekly,accelerate within a predetermined safe speed. If the carriage has only a short run, the brake will not act. In a longer run, as the carriage accelerates, the weights 37 are thrown outwardly by centrifugal force, and the cams 41 are thereby moved laterally relatively to the recesses 42 and force the disk 31 outwardly in the direction of its axis against a friction member 32, which acts as a brake on the disk to retard the shaft 13 and thereby apply a braking action to the carriage. The disk 31 re-acts through the weights 37 to apply an equal braking pressure to the disk 30.

It will thus be seen that whenever the carriage is released through the operation of a tabulator key, a quick acceleration is permitted, but excess of speed is prevented by the friction brakes controlled by the govbers.

ernor and applied before the carriage has obtained an undesirable speed.

it will be noted that each of the disks 30 and 31 forms a brake member cooperating with a stationary brake member 32, so that two brakes are provided, thus doubling the braking power while at the same time the power required to actuate the two brake disks 30 and 31 is no greater than would be required to operate one alone, as the power applied to one re-acts with equal power on the other. The outward throw of the weights 37 is limited by the casing, and the parts may be so adjusted that when a certain speed is attained, the weights 37 are brought against the casing and act directly as friction brakes thereon, or the braking action of the disks may be suiiicient to prevent a speed that will throw the weights outwardly the full extent.

The brake members 32 may be made of suitable material, preferably some material such as leather, which is compressible to a substantial degree. The pressure on the members 32 is controlled, and the powe f the brakes therefore adjusted by means of the adjustable head 13 which is threaded into the casing, and may be set up to secure any desired pressure on the brake mem- The head 13 is held in adjusted position by means of a spring detent 44 secured to the casing by screws 45 and 1-6, the end of the spring bearing against a milled or toothed surface 4-7 on the head as. The pressure of the detent 4 1 may be controlled by adjusting the set screw 4l6 and may be so adjusted as to prevent any accidental movement of the head 13, while permitting the latter to be readily rotated by hand to vary the power of the brake.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements maybe used without others.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. The combination of a drive shaft, a pair of spaced disks rotatable with said shaft, pins extending between said disks d forming a driving connection between the two disks permitting a relative movement of the disks toward and from each other, said shaft having a driving connection with one of the disks, centrifugal weights pivoted on said pins, a spring connecting said weights to hold them in an inoperative position, and cooperating cam surfaces on said weights and disks for spreading the disks when the weights are thrown outwardly by centrifugal force.

2. Governing mechanism for typewriter carriages comprising a casing, a shaft journaled therein, spaced disks within the casing connected to be rotated by the shaft, weighted members pivoted between said disks and rotatable about axes parallel with said shaft, said disks and weights havingcooperating cam surfaces for spreading the disks, and brake members interposed between the disks and the walls of the casing. 3. Governing mechanism for typewriter carriages comprising a cylindrical casing, disks rotatable therein, compressible friction material interposed between the disks and the walls of the casing, a drive shaft journaled in the casing and having a driving connection with one of the disks, pins parallel with said shaft and forming a driving connectionbetween the disks, and centrifugally operated weights pivoted on said pins, said weights and disks having cooperating cam surfaces for spreading the disks and compressing said friction material when the weights are operated by centrifugal force.

4. Governing mechanism for typewriter carriages comprising a cylindrical casing, disks rotatable therein, compressible friction material interposed between the disks and the walls of the casing, a drive shaft journaled in the casing and having a driving connection with one of the disks, pins parallel with said shaft and forming a driving connection between the disks, centrifugally operated weights pivoted on said pins, and cone-projections on said weights, said disks having correspondingly-shaped recesses to receive the cone-projections when the weights are in inoperative position. 7

5. Governing mechanism for typewriter carriages comprising a casing, a shaft journaled therein, parallel spaced disks within the casing, said shaft having a driving connection with and terminating at the first disk, pins parallel with the shaft and extending between the disks to form a driving connection between the disks and permitting relative movement of the disks toward and from each other, centrifugally operated weights pivoted on said pins, and normally bearing against the inner faces of the disks, cooperating conical bosses or projections and recesses formed on the faces of the weights and disks eccentrically of the pivots for said weights, said disks forming brake members, and cooperating brake members in the casing.

6. Governing mechanism for typewriter carriages comprising a casing, a drive shaft, a centrifugally operated weight within the casing and connected to be driven by the drive shaft, said weight movable by centrifugal force into contact with the wall of the casing to act as a brake, and brake devices actuated by said weight while the latter is out of contact with the said wall and opera tive to effect a braking action.

7.Governing mechanism for typewriter carriages comprising a casing, a drive shaft,

a centrifugally operated weight within thecasing and connected to be driven by the drive shaft, said weight movable by cen- &

tween and carried by said disks, and means operated by the weights to move the disks apart in an axial direction and compress each of said friction devices between its op-' posing disk and an end of the casing, thereby applying a braking action to each disk.

9. In governing mechanism for a typewriting and tabulatingmachine, the combination of a governor shaft, friction devices rotated thereby and separately movable in a direction longitudinally of said shaft, means providing friction-retardin g surfaces against which said devices bear respectively in opposite directions with a pressure governed by said longitudinal movement of said devices, a centrifugally operated weight connected to rotate with the shaft, and mounted for additional rotative movement by centrifugal force about an aXis parallel with the shaft, and means actuated by said weight to effect said longitudinal movement of the friction devices, the pressure ofsaid devices on the said retarding surfaces reacting to produce a balanced pressure longitudinally of the shaft.

10. In a speed governing mechanism for e a typewriting and tabulating machine, the combination of a rotating shaft, parallel brake members connected to rotate with the shaft and relatively movable toward and from each other, a centrifugally operated weight carried between said members and i revolving with said shaft, said weight operable by centrifugal force about an axis parallel. with said shaft, means operated by said weigh to move said members apart, and

means providing friction-retarding surfaces against which said members bear as varying with the distance between said members, said weight and brake members being automatically adjustable to balance the pressure on said retarding surfaces.

12. A governing device for a typewriter carriage comprising a shaft, brake members rotatable with the shaft, a centrifugally operated weight pivoted between said members on an aXis parallel with said shaft, said members and weight being formed with cooperating cam surfaces for effecting a relative movement of the members when the weight is operated by centrifugal force, and means providing friction-retarding surfaces against which said members bear with a pressure varying with the distance between said members, said weight and brake mem bers being automatically adjustable to balance the pressure on said retarding surfaces. I

13. Governing mechanism foratypewriter carriage comprising a rotary shaft, disks carried thereby and rotatable therewith, pins connecting said disks eccentric to and parallel with the shaft, weights pivoted on said pins to swing by centrifugal force about said pins, the direction of movement of the weights about said pins being parallel. with the disks, means operated by said weights to spread the disks, and retarding means to receive the thrust of the disks as they are spread.

14:. In governing mechanism for a typehaving cooperating cam surfaces for moving the disks apart when said weights are moved about their pivots, and means providing friction-retarding surfaces to receive the thrust of the disks as they are moved apart, the weights and disks being automatically adjusted by the reacting pressure at said surfaces, to balance said pressure.

15. In a speed governing mechanism for a typewriting machine, the combination with a rotatable shaft, of a weight rotatable with the shaft and also movable relatively to the shaft by centrifugal force in a direc tion perpendicular to the shaft, brake devices also rotating with the shaft, and movable lengthwise thereof, said Weight and brake devices having cooperating cam surfaces whereby the said movement of the weight relatively to the shaft effects a move ment of said brake devices simultaneously in opposite directions lengthwise of the shaft, and means providing friction-retarding surfaces against which said brake devices bear in opposite directions with an equal pressure determined by the extent of their. mo ement relatively to the shaft, to

apply a corresponding retarding or braking force to the shaft, said brake devices operative to directly control the speed of the shaft by their retarding action or drag on the shaft.

16. In a speed governing mechanism for a typewriting machine, the combination with a rotatable shaft, of a weight connected to rotate with the shaft and also movable by centrifugal force relatively to said shaft in a direction in a plane perpendicular thereto, brake devices at opposite sides of the weight and rotating with the shaft, said weight and brake devices having cooperating cam faces for moving the brake devices apart in a direction longitudinally of the shaft when said weight is moved by centrifugal force, and means providing friction-retarding surfaces to receive the longi tudinal thrusts of said brake devices, and thereby brake the shaft, said weight and brake devices being self adjustable to automatically equalize the pressure on said retarding surfaces.

17. A. speed-governing mechanism for a typewriter carriage, comprising a rotatable shaft, a weight rotatable therewith and movable relatively thereto by centrifugal force, means operated upon by said weight when the latter is in an intermediate position to apply a braking force in a direction lengthwise of the shaft, means providing a peripheral brake surface on which the brake is operative when at the limit of its move ment relative to the shaft to apply a braking force, and adjusting means to regulate the relative amount of said braking forces.

18. In a speed governing and braking mechanism, the combination with a rotatable shaft, of a weight rotatable therewith and movable by centrifugal force outwardly from the shaft, braking means moved by said .weight in a direction longitudinally of the shaft to retard the shaft, and means forming an annular braking surface against which the Weight is thrown outward and bears with a pressure applied in a direction transverse to the shaft when the speed increases beyond that required to operate said braking means.

19. In a speed governing mechanism, the combination with a rotatable driving member, of a weight rotating therewith and movable relatively thereto by centrifugal force, brake devices rotating with said driving member and movable by said weight in a direction longitudinally of said driving member, means forming friction-retarding surfaces against which said brake devices bear to effect a braking action, and means forming a peripheral surface against which said weight is brought to bear and apply a braking pressure in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the driving member, to effect a further braking action when the speed increases beyond that required to actuate said longitudinally movable brake devices.

20. A speed-governing mechanism comprising, in combination, a casing, a rotary drive shaft extending into the casing, friction elements Within the casing, means causing said elements to be positively rotated by said shaft and permitting said elements each to move relatively to the shaft and to the other element, toward and from the opposite end Walls of the casing, and means operated by the rotating shaft to cause said elements to apply to said end Walls a pressure corresponding to the speed of the site end Walls of the casing, a Weight Within the casing rotated by the shaft and movable relatively to the shaft by centrifugal force, and means to transmit said relative movement from the Weight to said friction elements and cause the latter to apply to the end Walls of the casing a pressure corresponding to the speed of the shaft, the pressure against one end Wall being balanced by the pressure against the opposite end Wall, said friction elements operative to control the speed of the shaft.

22. A speed-governing mechanism comprising, in combination, a casing, a. rotary drive shaft extending therein, friction elements Within the casing, means causing said elements to be positively driven by said shaft and permitting said elements each to move relatively to the shaft and to the other element, to apply pressure against the opposite end Walls of the casing, Weights Within the casing symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of the axis of said shaft, means for causing said Weights to rotate With the shaft, said Weights movable relatively to the shaft by centrifugal force, and cams operated by said Weights to force said friction elements endwise and cause them to apply to the end Walls of the casing a pressure corresponding to the speed of the shaft, the pressure against one end Wall being balanced by the pressure against the opposite end Wall, said friction elements being frictiorifally retarded to control the speed of the s a t.

HOWARD L. WHITE.

Witnesses:

. W. V. WESTPHAL,

ARTHUR A. JOHNSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

